GV252-5-SP-CO:
Discourse, Morality and Power
2024/25
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
19 May 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA L900 International Development,
BA L901 International Development (Including Year Abroad),
BA L902 International Development (Including Placement Year),
BA L921 International Development (Including Foundation Year),
BA L250 International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA L258 International Relations,
BA L259 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L260 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL268 International Relations,
MPOLL269 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL370 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV21 Modern History and Politics,
BA LV22 Modern History and Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA LV28 Modern History and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV2C Modern History and Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA L200 Politics,
BA L201 Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA L202 Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L203 Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA L219 Politics with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L2M8 Politics with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2M9 Politics with Human Rights,
BA LFM9 Politics with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA L2CS Social Sciences,
BA L2ES Social Sciences,
BA L225 Politics and International Relations,
BA L226 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L227 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL234 Politics and International Relations,
MPOLL235 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL236 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L215 Politics with Business,
BA L216 Politics with Business (Including Placement Year),
BA L217 Politics with Business (including Year Abroad),
BA L620 Politics with Criminology,
BA L621 Politics with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L622 Politics with Criminology (Including Year Abroad)
This module explores the intimate relationship in politics between discourse, morality, and power. Through readings and assignments this module is designed to highlight the central importance meaning and language play in defining the political dimension of social relations, political practices, and morality.
What we do in this module is really a species of political theory, understood as involving some combination of normative theory (about values/principles), empirical theory (about framing, power, and disadvantage), and discourse theory (about language and meaning). This module foregrounds the discursive dimension of political theory, exploring the role discourse plays in political debate, and it develops a conceptual vocabulary with which to talk and think about this. The module, therefore, points to a particular focus and way of doing research, which bridges what is often referred to as ideology and discourse analysis (IDA) with political theory. This approach uses discourse and meaning as a prism through which to probe the relation between normative values and principles, empirical claims and findings, and power dynamics.
On completing this module, a student ought to have a good understanding of central debates associated with the categories of discourse, morality, and power; be comfortable discussing key issues in critical political theory; and be familiar with some crucial methodological assumptions and debates in political analysis. In particular, students will have an enhanced appreciation of the role meaning and power play in the shaping and study of moral norms and social, economic, and political practices, including processes of collective deliberation and coordination; and a deep familiarity with a range of perspectives on discourse and power, noting how these are relevant to the tasks of description, explanation, and critique in political studies. The module offers students opportunities to develop skills relevant to the execution of a research project (eg., Capstone), as well as skills relevant to employability & citizenship, as indicated below.
No additional information available.
This module will be taught over 2 hours per week
- Atkins, Judi; Finlayson, Alan. (2013) ''.. A 40-Year-Old Black Man Made the Point to Me': Everyday Knowledge and the Performance of Leadership in Contemporary British Politics', in Political Studies. vol. 61 (1) , pp.161-177
- GOODIN, ROBERT E.; SAWARD, MICHAEL. (2005) 'Dog Whistles and Democratic Mandates', in The Political Quarterly. vol. 76 (4) , pp.471-476
- Stuart Hall. (2001) 'Foucault: Power, Knowledge and Discourse', in Discourse theory and practice: a reader, London: SAGE.
- Lukes, Steven. (2005) Power: a radical view, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Bacchi, Carol. (2012) 'Why Study Problematizations? Making Politics Visible', in Open Journal of Political Science. vol. 02 (01) , pp.1-8
- Heywood, Andrew; EBSCOhost ebook collection. (2015) Key Concepts in Politics and International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. vol. Palgrave Key Concepts
- Fricker, Miranda. (2007) Epistemic injustice: power and the ethics of knowing, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- W. B. Gallie. (1956) 'Essentially Contested Concepts', in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. vol. 56, pp.167-198
- Reflective Equilibrium, http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/reflective-equilibrium
- Lakoff, George. (2014) The all new Don't think of an elephant!: know your values and frame the debate, White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing.
- Keat, Russell. (1993) 'The Moral Boundaries of the Market', in Ethics and markets: co-operation and competition within capitalist economies, Oxford: Blackwell.
- James Tully. (2002) 'Political Philosophy as a Critical Activity', in Political Theory. vol. 30 (4) , pp.533-555
- Schon, D. (no date) ''Generative Metaphor: A Perspective on Problem-Setting in Social Policy' in Metaphor and Thought', in Metaphor and Thought, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., pp.137-163
- Bachrach, P. (1975) ''Interest, Participation, and Democratic Theory' in Participation in politics', in Participation in politics, New York: Lieber-Atherton. vol. Nomos
- Alasdair MacIntyre. (1973) 'The Essential Contestability of Some Social Concepts', in Ethics. vol. 84 (1) , pp.1-9
- Simon, Roger. (1982) Gramsci's political thought: an introduction, London: Lawrence and Wishart.
- Martin, James; EBSCOhost ebook collection. (2013) Politics and rhetoric: a critical introduction, Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
- Haslanger, Sally Anne. (2013) Resisting reality: social construction and social critique, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Edelman, Murray J. (1988) Constructing the political spectacle, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Sandel, Michael J. (2010) Justice: what's the right thing to do?, London: Penguin.
- Lukes, Steven; EBSCOhost ebook collection. (2005) Power: a radical view, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Finlayson, A. (2011) 'The Philosophical Significance of UK Uncut', in Fight back!: a reader on the winter of protest, London: Open Democracy.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Quiz |
|
35% |
| Coursework |
Essay |
|
65% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr David Axelsen, email: d.v.axelsen@essex.ac.uk.
Dr David Axelsen
Module Supervisor: Dr David Axelsen - d.v.axelsen@essex.ac.uk / Module Administrator: Jasini Hobbs - govquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Katharine Dommett
The University of Sheffield
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 66 hours, 66 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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